Electric outlet molding with movable outlet



Nov. 11, 1952 E. N. WRIGHT ETAL ELECTRIC OUTLET MOLDING WITH MOVABLE OUTLET Filed Oct. 19, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Edward N. Wright Richard 5. Wright INVENTORS Nov. 11, 1952 E. N. WRIGHT EI'AL ELECTRIC OUTLET MOLDING wmx MOVABLE OUTLET Filed Oct. 19, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 M M MW d mm W. d m ER INV VTORJ BY v Patented Nov. 11, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC OUTLET MOLDING WITH MOVABLE OUTLET Edward :Wright and Richard S. Wright, Northampton, Mass.

Application October 19, 1949, Serial No. 122,2'82

2.0laims. 11

The present.inventionrelates to new-and use- \ful improvements :in electric outlet moldings and :more-particularly-to a nwlding strip foncontinuous electric outlets whereby one or more electric extension cords maybe plugged into a circuit-ma desired location alonga wall.

An important object :of the invention is to provide an electric outlet molding constructed toreceive-a sliding electric :socket or receptacle forsone ormore electricplugs.

Another object is :to provide concealed conjductors in the :molding .to eliminate danger of shock by objects coming ,into contact with the moldings.

A further :object. is to provide :a device of this character .of simple and practical construction, 'whichis .efiicient and reliable in use, neat and attractive :in appearance, relatively inexpensive ;to;manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes 'for which .the same is intended.

spectively'onIthe-lines 4-- l and5-5 of Figure 1;

Figureifi :is an Y enlarged group perspective view of one :of -the units of the sliding doublesocket or receptacle;

Figure is an enlarged fragmentary perspective v.view of one of the resilient contacts for thedotible receptacle;

Figure 8 is a diagram of the arrangement of the units for the double receptacle,

Figure 9 is a rear elevational view of the sliding socket or receptacle, with the socket unit removed;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the meeting ends of one of the molding strips showing the terminals for the conductors; and

Figure 11 is a fragmentary group perspective view of one of the terminals and connectors.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numerals 3 and 4 designate a pair of molding sections each :composedxof a 'rearielongated conductor support 5 and afront-elongated conductor support 6, both constructed of suitable insulation material andsecureduto a wall iniassembled relationby screws or other :suitable fasteners 7 and enclosed in a channeled cover 8 having inwardly curved flanges ll spaced from the supports at their upper and lower edges as well as from the front of the front support :6. Upper and lower'channels ill and li-are formed at the confronting portion of the upper and lower edges of "supports ill and "5 and in which conductor strips '2 and 13 are suitably secured.

The ends of theconductors at the outer'end of one of the molding sections, are formed with apertured tongues 1.4 which project beyond the ends of the supports 5 and 6 to form terminals which are attached to terminals i5 by screws 16 which also attach circuit wires I! :to the connected terminals. The terminals 15 are .secured to the inner side :of anend molding iplate it by an insulation block 119 and a'covertplate Ell for the terminals is tsecured'to the end molding plate I'Bby'a screw 2|.

At the .meeting ends of the trimming sections the conductors i2 and itareformedwith aperttured channels orclips 22 behindthe front support 6 havinga headed'Allen type-terminal-screw 22a threaded into the clip through .an "opening 22b in front support 6. A connector plate 23 is forked or bifurcated at one end, as shownat "23a for sliding into the clip 22 and connected tothe screw 22a of one meeting end of the molding strip and the connector is provided with an opening 12319 at its other "end for attaching to the terminal screw at the other meeting end of the molding strip.

A socke'tor receptacle body 25 is formed with a channeled rear face 26 having intu-rned lips 'or flanges 2! engaged in the upper and lower channels H) and M of the supports 5 and 6 to slidably hold the receptacle body on the front of front support 6 and behind the "flangesd of cover 8.

Upper and lower socket units 28 and 29 are carried at the channeled rear face 26 of receptacle body 25, each unit being of similar construction and accordingly a detailed description of one will suffice for both. 7

Each socket unit 28 or 29 comprises a U- shaped conductor strip 30 recessed in longitudinal grooves 25a, in channeled rear face 26 and having arcuate arms 3| projecting laterally from one edge of the strip at each end thereof and embodied in receptacle body 25. A screw 32 passes through an opening 33 in each arm and is threaded into one end of a sleeve or hollow rivet 34 which has its other end upset in an opening 35 at the central portion of a U-shaped resilient contact clip 35 recessed in the receptacle body 25 and aligned with an opening 3'? in an insulation plate 38 secured to the front face of receptacle body 25.

A third arcuate arm 39 also projects laterally from the central portion of strip 30 at its edge opposite from arms 3| and is formed with a support 40 embedded in one of the flanges 21 and projecting therefrom into an adjacent channel I or ll. A pair 'of bendable tongues M are formed at the end of support 40 and are inserted through a central opening 42 in a resilient contact shoe 43 to slidably hold the same on the support against the tension of a coil spring 44 positioned between contact shoe 43 and flange 21. The ends 45 of contact shoe 43 are inclined outwardly and curved rearwardly and are held in effective wiping contact with one of the conductors l2 or I3 by spring 44.

A jumper wire 46 connects contact shoe 43 with support 40 to provide an effective electric connection therebetween.

The upper and lower units 28 and 29 are arranged in receptacle body 25 with their contact shoes 43 opposed, as shown in Figure 8, for contacting the upper and lower conductor strips 12 and I3 respectively and with the contact clips 36 at the ends of one unit properly spaced with respect to the contact clips of the other unit to provide a pair of outlet sockets or contacts for the prongs of a pair of electric plugs (not shown) which may be plugged in the sliding receptacle body 25.

In the operation of the device, channel cover member 8 with the conductor supports and 6 therein, is secured to a wall 41 and the wires I? of the house circuit connected to the terminals I5 and to which the terminals 14 0f the conductors l2 and 13 are in turn connected.

Cover plate is removed for this purpose and which also exposes one end of conductor supports 5 and 6 for placing one or more of the socket or receptacle bodies in position for slidin under lips 9 of cover 8 and with the resilient contact shoes 43 of the upper and lower contacts units 28 and 29 sliding in the upper and lower channels In and H of conductor supports 5 and 6 in contact with the conductors l2 and I3. The receptacle body 25 may then slide in the channeled cover 8 of the molding strip to place the body 25 in a desired location in the room and into which one or more electric plugs may then be inserted.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An electric outlet comprising a wall attached molding including a channeled cover, an insulation strip in said cover having longitudinal top and bottom edge channels, conductor strips extending along the bottoms of said channels, an elongated channeled electric plug receiving socket slidably fitting on the insulation strip under the cover and in said channels in straddling relation to said strip, said socket being provided with a row of front openings for plug prongs in the longitudinal center of the plug, a pair of U- shaped conductor units embedded in the channel of said socket on opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof with end prong gripping clips extending into alternate openings of the row, and contact shoes carried by said conductor units intermediate the end-s thereof and extending into said channels into sliding engagement with said conductor strips.

2. An electric outlet comprising a wall attached insulation strip having longitudinal top and :bottom edge channels, conductor strips in said channels, an elongated channeled electric plug receiving socket slidably fitting on the insulation strip and in said channels in straddling relation to said strip, said socket .being provided with a row of front openings for plug-in prongs in the longitudinal center thereof, a pair of U-shaped conductor units embedded in the channel of said socket on opposite sides of the longitudinal center thereof with end prong gripping clips extending into alternate openings of the row, and contact shoes carried by said units intermediate the ends thereof and extending into said channels into sliding engagement with said conductor strips.

EDWARD N. WRIGHT. RICHARD S. WRIGHT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

